


You Had Me At First Bite

by DarkJediQueen



Series: A Universe of Meetings [25]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Pre-Slash, Shifter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-27 19:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18198623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: Who would have thought that Aaron would ever meet that Sand Cat Shifter again?





	You Had Me At First Bite

**Author's Note:**

> **Year** : Any  
>  **Spoilers** : None Really  
>  **Notes** : None  
>  **Beta** : Grammarly

Aaron Hotchner was twenty-two the first time that he met a Shifter who was not from his pack. Aaron didn't have a lot of exposure to Shifters at all. Aaron was kept away from them. The Hotchners had been full of Shifters until his father. He had been born a plain human and so hadn't his two sons, but still, a pack was a pack and pack took care of even the humans. Aaron had got as far away from them as he could when he went to college. He left behind Haley, but she refused to leave the protection of the pack. Aaron was in Vegas for a weekend. His father would hate to know that was where he was, but pack law made that his father had to support him until he earned a job in his profession, that including college.

"Hey," Aaron said as he picked up the kitten that was trying to run from him. It dug into him with sharp claws, but Aaron didn't react other than to tuck the kitten into his body. It was chilly out now that the rain had started. It was a hell of a storm, so Aaron understood why the kid had run into the first thing that he or she had seen. Aaron had done the same as soon as the first crack of thunder broke the silence of the desert. Aaron knew where he was, he had a good sense of direction, so he knew how to get back to where he needed to be.

The kitten in his hands dug its claws into him and held onto him tightly. It sunk its teeth in the area between his thumb and his pointer finger. Aaron didn't react though. He just let the cat squeeze at him until even the smell of blood was noticeable to Aaron's nose. Aaron might not have been a Shifter, but his senses were greater than that of a normal Human. That's how he knew this cat wasn't a random kitten lost from its mother. It was a kid who had probably shifted for the first time and was scared of the storm.

Aaron had laid his hoodie out on the ground of the little hut they were into dry so Aaron picked it up with his free hand and settled the kitten down into it and started to dry it off as best he could. The hoodie itself wasn't that dry, but it would help him get the kitten dry.

"Oh, aren't you pretty. You are a Sand Cat, aren't you? I heard about a group of them that live in Arizona after my mother and brother went there on a trip. I didn't know there was a group of you here in Nevada. You are gorgeous." Aaron kept on petting the kitten, using the hoodie as a buffer. Slowly, the kitten let go with its teeth and then it's claws. Aaron let it lick his wounds before he shifted it to where he could dry it off better. Aaron was glad when the kitten started to purr at him.

After a few minutes, Aaron dropped down onto the bed, released a puff of dust that made him and the kitten sneeze. The wind picked up though and carried most of that out of the room. Aaron grinned as the kitten turned onto its side so Aaron could dry it's belly a little more. Aaron would take the kitten to the police station near his hotel. There would be a Shifter on duty.

"So how old are you? Four, five?"

The kitten licked at Aaron's hand six times, so Aaron took that to be its age.

"Oh, six. Wow, you must be a big boy for six." Aaron was pretty damned sure that the cat glared at him, but he didn't care. He just smiled at the cat and cleaned a little wet sand from its face that he seemed to have missed. The kitten was too young in this form for Aaron to tell if it was male or female. "Or girl. Are you a girl?"

The look said no. Aaron laid down on the bed and settled the kitten on his chest. The kitten tried to run, but Aaron got a hold of the scruff of his neck and held him in place.

"Oh, no little guy. You are staying here until this storm ends."

The cat barked at him which made Aaron laugh, but he didn't let go. He kept a hand on the back of the cat and just laid there as he listened to the storm all around them. The wind whipped through the hut. There really was no better term for it. It was a hut in the middle of the desert. Aaron looked around as he laid there. There was a little bit of evidence that someone came there a lot. He just wasn't sure who or what. Aaron slipped his free arm under the pillow on the bed, and he found a book there. Getting the book free was a little bit of work but he still did it. It was a book on physics. The kitten meowed and butted the bottom of the book with his head.

"Is this your hideaway?" Aaron asked. The kitten barked in response. "Oh, that's cool. So you like physics?"

Aaron opened up the book. There were notes in a kid's scrawl. It was evident that the kid was lacking the fine motor skills of an adult or even teenage hand but had an awareness of words that said the kid was smart. Aaron flipped through the book to find where the kid had left off. He figured if they were stuck there in the rain, they should make the most of it. Aaron understood most of what was in the book, but barely, it was well above even the advanced classes he had taken in high school and the classes he had taken after. Whoever this kid was he was super smart. Aaron waited for the cat to paw the page before he turned it. He let go of the cat and held the book open with both hands while the kitten moved to sit on his chest in a better position so he could read the pages.

An hour passed and the storm just got worse and worse. The kitten hunkered down on Aaron's chest more and more, seemingly hiding from the storm. Aaron turned onto his side and let the kitten fall down onto the bed, and Aaron made his body a shield from the storm, especially as the weak door broke down on the hut on as the wind picked up and got so loud it sounded like it was howling.

Laying on his side, Aaron fell asleep, and when he woke up, he found that the kitten was gone as well as Aaron's hoodie.

# 20 Years Later

Aaron raced against the clock to get to shelter in the middle of the Arizona desert as a horrible thunderstorm kicked up. It had been two decades since he had got caught in a storm in the middle of the desert. He found a much better-looking cabin that looked like someone lived in it. He sighed when the door opened, and he rushed inside to shut and make sure the cabin door wouldn't open in the wind. The wind was moving so fast that Aaron had what felt like tiny cuts all over his skin. He had not been covered enough to be caught in the storm, but then he hadn't been expecting to be taken captive by the UnSub and driven into the middle of the desert and dropped for dead. The plus side in all of this was that Aaron knew precisely who the UnSub was as he had come across the scent in the canvas of the latest dump of a body. That was probably why Aaron was taken to be left for dead. Aaron looked around the cabin and saw no one around. There were no lights on, but there was enough light from the storm and the fading sun to let him see what was inside of the cabin.

The cabin was too nice for it to be the UnSub's, but Aaron grabbed a knife from the kitchen that didn't look like it would break if he used it to defend himself. In fact, it looked like something right out of a horror movie. The kitchen was stocked with a lot of useful tools for cooking, so it wasn't out of place. Aaron took in the fact that the place seemed like it wasn't that unused for being out in the middle of the desert like it was. It was a hermit of some kind or a weekend getaway spot. It was surrounded by rocks and was kind of nice and isolated, Aaron had only seen the light on the porch and hoped that it was not a mirage. It had not been.

Aaron cleared the cabin before he went to find a phone of some kind. There was nothing. Aaron didn't even see a computer, but there was a modem. That meant whoever came here brought their computer with them. That made Aaron a little hopeful that he would not die here. There was plenty of food, some of it fresh and other things not. Whoever was here was meaning to come back soon.

Sending up a small prayer that whoever was here didn't care about him invading and eating, Aaron went to the smaller bathroom to clean up a little. In there, he could smell that it was a Shifter. The scent was slightly faded like the person hadn't been there and the air had removed the smell, but it was there. There was something about the smell as well that triggered Aaron's memories of that trip to Vegas and getting caught in a storm.

"There is no way," Aaron said to the air as he looked at his face in the mirror. He was bleeding from a few small cuts with only a drop or so coming out of them. Aaron decided to strip down and clean up. There was a washer and a dryer in the place so he could clean up all the way before waiting to be rescued. He was not going to head out into the desert until at least morning. This was not his area, and he needed to make sure that he didn't die in the desert.

Aaron left the bathroom to find something to wear and found that it was probably a male that lived there. There were jeans and T-shirts. Aaron found that none of them would fit him as the person was about the same height but was much slimmer than him. There were sweat pants that he could fit into and one really baggy hoodie that had seen better days. Aaron carried those to the bathroom. He planned on dropping by or having the locals tell him who lived there so he could pay them back for the kindness that he was taking advantage of.

After a shower that hurt because of all of the small cuts that he did not realize were everywhere, Aaron was smearing some cream all over his face to stop any infection on the cuts there. He had just a few on his arms and a few where his shirt had flown up after being ripped some but those he didn't worry about as much and just put a little of the antibiotic cream on them. He pulled the hoodie on gingerly as his body was sore from being dumped out of a moving car at high speed. The clothes were in the wash, so Aaron walked out barefooted into the central part of the cabin. He found food that was quick and easy to eat. He was worn out from little sleep and then the crashing of adrenaline.

Aaron settled on the couch in the middle of the living room and looked around, he couldn't help but profile the person who was living there. Science texts all around on the many bookshelves as well as murder mystery books and a whole case of just spy novels. It was an odd mix. There were also figures, some from comics, others from Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Star Wars.

Letting sleep take him because he wasn't going to force himself to stay awake as it was more dangerous than not sleeping, Aaron really hoped that the UnSub didn't follow him here.

* * *

The smell of coffee brewing woke up Aaron. His nose caught that it was a very expensive brand that he had smelled once, that was in a cup that was on a desk of an officer who had left just before the team had got there to interview a witness from a decade-old case that intersected with the new one. Aaron hadn't met Officer Reid, but he had been interested as the man had been the point on the case before then.

"How are you feeling, Agent Hotchner?" a voice asked.

The scent of the Shifter was much stronger, and Aaron could tell he was a feline of some kind. Aaron opened his eyes to see that a young man was sitting across from him. He was dressed in the uniform for the local PD but was wearing no weapon.

"When your Miss Garcia tracked the vehicle of the UnSub out of this area of the desert according to the cameras, we sent out teams. The storm isn't so bad for those who know this area. I came here to see if I could track you from my house only to find you asleep here. I have one of your team heading here in an SUV. The wind calmed down enough that I ran here in my Shifter form."

"Feline right?" Aaron asked as he sat up.

"Yes. Sand Cat."

"I met a young Sand Cat once. We weathered out a storm in the Vegas area." Aaron smiled at the very soft memory. One of the few he had of that time of his life.

"Yes, and the young little Sand Cat stole a hoodie from you right?"

Aaron reached for the knife that he had hidden down in the back of the cushions. Aaron had never told a single person about that. The officer changed, and Aaron recognized the markings on the Sand Cat. Aaron looked down at the hoodie that he was wearing and realized that it was the exact same one that had been stolen from him. The cat jumped across to the coffee table and sat down on top of a physics text.

Reaching out, Aaron laughed and petted the officers' head. Just as Aaron was lifting his hand, the cat changed back to Human form.

"Back then I could not change my clothes and keep them, so I stole your hoodie to wear home. It was boxed away in a storage bag for many years until I found it when I moved out here to my cabin in the desert. I find it kind of funny you grabbed it to wear. It's a little bigger form the relaxing of the threads as I have been wearing it on some of the cold nights here in the desert. I was a little shocked when I came back from the interview and found your scent. It was kind of ingrained in me as you were one of the first people to ever be kind to me."

"Really? Why weren't they kind?"

"I was too smart for my own good in their eyes. I didn't try and fit in. I reveled in the fact that I was a Sand Cat while the rest of my family, which was my father's back were various dogs. My father and mother were a political marriage as she was from a strong family but born Human. Though you no longer smell human."

"No. It seems that given enough incentive, I changed. In this case, it was one of my team being taken and drugged against their will." Aaron shuddered as he remembered learning everything other Shifters learned a very young age. The officer looked out into the desert and frowned. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and started to dial a number.

"Agent Morgan. Yes, Officer Reid here. I saw your number on Agent Rossi's phone and remembered it. I need you all to turn back. The storm is getting worse again. Agent Hotchner is awake and fine other than some superficial cuts. He'll make it days here without help. I don't want anyone else getting lost. I wouldn't be surprised if even with the good headlights you lose visibility. My cabin is surrounded by rocks, and there is a single path in that won't let you killed. Once the sun is up again, we attempt a rescue of him and now me. I know this desert well." Officer Reid huffed and handed the phone over to Aaron.

"Morgan?" Aaron asked.

"Hotch, are you okay?" Morgan sounded worried.

"Yes, I'm fine. Officer Reid is taking good care of me." It was a code that everything was fine. If Aaron had said something about him being a fine host, Morgan would know to get someone there as soon as possible.

"Good. So we will see you when the storm is over."

"Yes. Don't come after me before it's safe. Listen to the officers. They know better."

"I will Hotch."

Aaron pulled the phone from his ear and handed it back. Officer Reid gave Aaron a smile.

"I saw you made supper but are you still hungry?"

"No. I'm still tired."

"So and sleep in the bed. You can get a few hours before dawn breaks. I'll keep watch to make sure that the UnSub doesn't come back."

"I know who it is."

"Yes, so do we. His scent was at the place he took you from. There was no reason for the scent to be there. That's how we knew what vehicle to look for. He is in lockup but refused to tell us where you were."

"I'm not that kind of tired," Aaron said.

"Then shift. Do you not get a lot of time in your skin?" Reid held out his hand and Aaron hesitated to take it, but finally, he did to shake it. "I never introduced myself. My name is Spencer Reid. I know that you were probably introduced to me with the title of officer, but I don't like to wear suits while in the desert, so my uniform is a little different. A few of the other detectives hate to name me as such, so they introduce me as Officer, my old title. A few who do show me respect name me Doctor just to get under the skin of the others."

"Do you have that much of an issue with that?"

"Not as much as I used to and the people in the town are good. Right now my fellow cops are upset that I wanted the BAU brought in. I didn't know at the time that it was you as I didn't remember your face at all. It was just your scent. Why don't you get into your skin then we can go from there." Reid was looking at Aaron with a little bit of fondness in his eyes like they were old friends getting to know one another again after a few years instead of nearly twenty of just meeting for such a short time.

Aaron relaxed back on the couch and looked at the detective. He could see the difference in the outfit now, but he still wondered if Reid wore it because he wanted to or he was made to wear it. Aaron could feel that call under his skin to become his other self. To feel himself in his skin. There was a reason though that he had not changed when it might have been better to be smaller. Aaron shifted with ease, taking his clothes with him.

"Ah, the Common Mink. Native to Virginia and the DC area. You would have been shredded if you had changed into it that to escape the storm." Reid reached out and let Aaron sniff at his hand before he scooped Aaron up.

Aaron wasn't sure what Reid was doing, but he wasn't going to fight it until it seemed something terrible was going to happen. It felt good to be in his other skin. The only thing missing was water. He enjoyed that part, and it was why the backyard of his house had a huge almost river area in the landscaping. It sounded good when he was human, but it was fun to play in as a Mink. Aaron was shocked when Reid took him into the bathroom. Aaron was settled onto the back of the tank of the toilet while Reid bent over and started to run water in the tub. This bathroom was the master bath. Aaron looked around as Reid put a few inches of warm water into the tub.

"It's a heated tub so the water will stay warm for you for about half an hour. I have it set to just about eighty degrees. Do you want me to stay awake or catch a few hours of sleep?" Reid asked as he shut off the water.

Aaron nodded his head toward the door and mimicked laying down. Reid gave him a smile and a nod, so Aaron turned to the water and jumped. The feel of the warm water washing over him, even in the scant inches there were in the tub was great. It was so dry in the desert, and while Aaron liked the heat of it, he didn't like how it made his skin itch. At least the skin that felt like it lived under his human skin.

After almost an hour, Aaron felt like he could sleep. He found that Reid had laid down several towels on the floor at some point. Probably while Aaron had been slipping and sliding int he tub. Aaron dried off as much as he could by rubbing on them, liking the feel of the slightly rougher towels on his fur and skin. Aaron followed Reid's scent to the master bedroom where he was curled in the middle of the nest of blankets on the bed in cat form. Aaron nimbly made his way up the edge of the bed, the long covering that draped under the mattress was easy to climb followed by the fitted sheet. Reid was half awake. Aaron wiggled under one of the blankets and came up with his head close to Reid's body. Reid closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep while Aaron closed his eyes and let the lethargy of the day take him again.

# Six Months Later

Aaron heard the hiss before he felt the splash of water on his body. He cracked an eye open to see that Spencer had joined him for an afternoon sun session, even if Spencer was being an ass and splashing him. Probably because he was sitting in a spot that Spencer couldn't fit in. Aaron stretched before letting gravity pull his lower half down the rock to where he and Spencer could curl up together. Spencer was back from Hong Kong and a case with the IRT. While Spencer had not wanted to join Aaron's team even though Aaron wanted him to, he was lured in by the travel that the International Response Team got up to. It made their relationship very hard, but Aaron wouldn't trade it for a thing in the world. They were together when they could be and texted and called when they couldn't.

Spencer's tongue cleaned up most of the water on Aaron before he curled around his lover. Aaron was content to have him home. It was the height of summer, and it was really warm, the perfect weather Aaron thought for playing in the water, after a short nap in the sun.

# The End

 

**Author's Note:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story! 
> 
> I can be found on MeWe (a FB replacement that's better) [here](https://mewe.com/i/beccaqueen1), join me there and we can discuss my fics and whatnot. My writing page for the moment is kind of dead in the water on a FB front as links are being banned for content. 
> 
> The Every Fandom Reverse Bang sign-ups are open! Please check it out [here](https://everyfandombangs.wordpress.com/).


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